Bold Studio’s Post

A short reflection on the need for personal introspection.

While there are countless avenues through which we communicate our differing perspectives in the world today, many of these platforms have become spaces where each individual remains in a feedback loop of like-minded beliefs. Our convictions are continually reinforced as correct and true, further limiting our willingness to listen to and consider others' views. As we all know, this breeds a dangerously volatile society. This is why the performing arts are crucial to the well being and prosperity of our communities, local and global alike. Whether as theater, comedy, or music, the performing arts bring together people from a wide scope of political, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds. An audience can be composed of people of all walks, each with their own beliefs, but all with their ears open and eyes wide, not to mention their guards down. With no explicit political agenda or social cause to be fought for or against, this makes for a tremendous opportunity for the tie that binds to reveal itself - our shared humanity. A comic's stand up set that has you laughing at the absurdity of a stance you thought was yours; a scene in a play that moves you to tears by its cruelty before you have time to judge the situation as justified; a musician's concert that leaves you beaming in sheer joy in a sea of people who look nothing like you, other than your shared smiles - these are just a few moments that the performing arts bring us that have the power to undeniably influence the way we see the world and our place within it. This power can inspire curiosity and exploration where a closed mind once lived and ultimately have us relating to those we had so readily dismissed as wrong or "other". We need the arts to help cultivate empathy and imagination, especially at a time when we are becoming more and more rigid in our points of view and alienated from one another. I have been fortunate enough to work with organizations, such as Brooklyn Academy of Music and now St. Ann's Warehouse, who boldly bring to their stages art that ignites the courage within us to question, reflect on, and change the way we share our world. Our current production at St. Ann's Warehouse, Dark Noon, is one of such evocative pieces, spawning impassioned conversations after every performance. Audience members can be heard grappling with the plurality of history and complexity of cultural identity while marveling at the awe-inspiring use of video, lighting, space and sound, not to mention the breathtaking performances. https://lnkd.in/enxf9aRR As the arts are often deemed frivolous and as a threat to the status quo, arts organizations and programs are often the first to lose funding by governments. Thanks to the following post from The Public Theater, it will take you less than a minute to implore our local government to think twice about defunding ours. #PerformingArts #NYCarts #ArtsProgramming #NonProfit #ArtsFunding

🌟 Join the National Uprising: Together, We Can Make a Difference ✊❤️This is the moment to stand together and take action! Across the country, groups are mobilizing for a united front of activism and resistance. I’m proud to be part of this movement, and I invite you to join us. ✨ Worth Fighting For (WFF) is a growing progressive coalition launched by Working Families, MoveOn Civic Action, Indivisible, and Public Citizen. They’re equipping communities with tools to organize, host local webinars, and strengthen solidarity. Their Toolkit is a fantastic resource for anyone ready to step up and make a difference. 📅 Mark Your Calendar for January 18th! The People’s March, led by the Women’s March, is coming to DC, and it’s drawing support from groups nationwide. Let’s show up to defend democracy, together. How You Can Get Involved: 1️⃣ Join a Webinar: Learn how to organize and activate your community. 2️⃣ Host a Local Event: Use WFF’s tools to bring people together and build momentum. 3️⃣ March with Us: Register now to join the People’s March and make your voice heard in DC. We’re in this together. Every action matters, every voice counts, and every step we take brings us closer to a stronger democracy. Let’s rise together! 💪🌍 #NationalUprising #WorthFightingFor #PeoplesMarch #DefendDemocracy #CommunityPower #TogetherWeRise 🏛️✨

Over the past few weeks, our founder Allison K. Ralph, Ph.D. has had the privilege of attending (and facilitating) three dynamic convenings with Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE), Inter-Movement Impact Project, and Peace and Security Funders Group exploring the state of democracy, pluralism, and polarization following our most recent election. These gatherings—spanning funder-only spaces, grantee-driven discussions, and broad civic conversations—surfaced four key themes with striking consistency. Each theme reminded us that division doesn’t have to be a terminal condition, and the conversations underscored how collective work can move us all forward. By working together, at the intersections of peace, democracy, and social cohesion, lies the potential to transform conflict into collaboration, continuing to #ExpandWhatsPossible. https://lnkd.in/e76Wx8wF

Economic Security Project’s Guaranteed Income Now (#GINow) Conference in Detroit wrapped up this evening. Its purpose? To celebrate, strategize, and learn with leaders, advocates, and innovators in the guaranteed basic income and unrestricted cash space. It was incredible to: 💡Be in community with those who hold highly and dearly the belief of the inherent value of an individual and the values of dignity and freedom for all. 💡Think about GBI and unrestricted cash as a model for reparations, given the historical context of racist and oppressive policies that have allowed the cycle of poverty to continue in Black and brown communities. 💡Hear people share their stories as caregivers and child of immigrants, and urge all who will listen to follow the lead of impacted people with lived expertise. 💡Hear charismatic leaders speak authentically and unapologetically about the possibility and power of unrestricted cash. 💡Continue the conversation about the intersection of Reproductive Justice, Cash Assistance, Housing, Health, and more….because it is after all, intersectional. 💡Unexpectedly connect with new and old friends and colleagues alike. 💡Be a visitor in Detroit. I leave this convening with continued inspiration to work towards the goal of unrestricted cash for people to not only live, but to thrive as they want and decide to. See below to learn more about the conference.

As we approach the end of the year, we’re highlighting our most popular pieces of content on FSG.org from 2024 👇 #5 is from our #InclusiveDemocracy series. In this piece, FSG CEO John Harper writes on why inclusive civic infrastructure is essential to advancing an inclusive, multiracial democracy. Questions for reflection: ✨Where does this infrastructure exist in your local community and what are you doing to foster it? ✨How can building, sustaining and engaging these tables be part of our civic duty? ✨Where are there opportunities to make our existing collaborative efforts more inclusive? Read more: https://lnkd.in/e8Er-VdT

It's been a busy final month of the year, and I continue to be grateful for such productive spaces and conversations that allow me to explore questions like: How can we navigate the tension between hyper-local solutions and national strategies? What happens when we break down silos and approach conflict as an opportunity? And how do we tackle one of our most urgent challenges—the spread of #disinformation? I hope you'll read what I had to say on these questions in our newest blog and share what questions you're thinking about in the comments. https://lnkd.in/einYzd-4

Diversity is critical to the success of any board. Creating a diverse board is an inclusive, values-driven process. It requires imagining what is possible in a vision of equity, justice, and inclusion. This module presented by Community Resource Exchange's Unique Brathwaite consists of three lesson plans that support participants in creating a vision and roadmap to improve the diversity of their board. Explore through our Amplify Equity Kit: https://bit.ly/3VN1Ypq

The Renovate the Public Hearing Initiative (RPHI) recently released two new video projects. The team worked with Uytae Lee of About Here videos to produce The Problem with Public Hearings, an exploration of the pros, cons and pitfalls of public hearings and how we can better involve the public in land use decisions: https://lnkd.in/gjYbrVz5 One innovative alternative is explored in the Voices of Gibsons Residents film. This short documentary shares the story of the Town of Gibsons Residents Assembly, a groundbreaking community assembly that offers a new model for land use and community planning based on meaningful, upstreamed public engagement: https://lnkd.in/gE8cQR-e

Shrinking civic spaces globally is an extreme alaram of shrinking democracy. With the increasing regulatory frameworks for youth led organization, the governments globally are trying to silence youth and activists critical voices. We must create a framework of accountability and transparency that no ways impact and shrink democracy.